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On Wednesday night, West Virginia and North Carolina will compete in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. For the two teams, this will be their third encounter ever; the previous two meetings took place during the postseason.
Up until the 1997 Gator Bowl, UNC and WVU had never faced each other, despite being in the same Southern Conference since 1950 to 1953. The season for North Carolina took a different, yet comparable, course in 2022.
Later, in 2008, they squared off again in what is now called the Duke’s Mayo Bowl—formerly the Meineke Car Care Bowl. West Virginia prevailed 31-30 to tie the all-time series at 1-1.
After finishing 5-7 the previous year, fifth-year coach Neal Brown came into 2023 on the hot seat and has since led the Mountaineers to their finest season to date.
With an 8-4 record, West Virginia had its best regular time since 2018. They also won four of their final five games, giving them a lot of momentum going into bowl season.
Under the direction of ace quarterback then Heisman Trophy candidate Drake Maye, the Tar Heels jumped out to a 6-0 start then saw their season take a turn for the worst after losing to Virginia on October 21.
Over its previous six games, North Carolina had a record of 2-4 and had lost its last two by an average of 15 points.
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl will take place at Bank of America Stadium is Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 (12/27/23) between the North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (8-4).
The 2008 season’s final meeting between the clubs took place at that bowl under a different moniker.
Before faltering, the Tar Heels went from a 6-0 start to No. 10 in the AP Top 25. Under coach Neal Brown, the Mountaineers have already eclipsed their previous record for wins.
In the Duke University Mayo Bowl, the 8-4 football team from UNC will play 8-4 West Virginia, and the victorious coach will get a Mayo bath.
The Bank of America Stadium for Charlotte, North Carolina, is the same venue where UNC began their season, and will host this year’s Mayo Bowl game.
Since the first game, a lot has shifted for the Tar Heels, chief among them being the players that are available.
Several key players for UNC will be absent, including defensive standout Cedric Gray and one of the country’s top two quarterbacks, Drake Maye.
Even with the loss, UNC still has one of the greatest running backs in the country in Kaimon Rucker, their defensive leader.
For starters, a bowl bath filled with mayo for the victorious coach. Traditionally, the winning coach of Duke’s Mayo Bowl is showered with mayonnaise following the game.
The Tar Heels will get a head start on preparation for the upcoming season without quarterback Drake Maye, who has chosen not to participate in the bowl and is projected to be a top-10 draft pick.
After suffering defeats to Clemson & North Carolina State, the Tar Heels have barely made it to the finish line.
The Mountaineers want to go out on a high note after exceeding expectations in the regular season.
Baylor and Cincinnati were defeated by West Virginia to end the regular season. Since 2010, the Mountaineers’ record in bowl games is only 3-8.
Conner Harrell of North Carolina, quarterback, takes on the 69th-ranked defense of West Virginia: Harrell replaces the highly rated Maye at the beginning of his college career.
Since he is quicker than Maye, the Tar Heels should expect to observe more quarterback runs.
Harrell will have a difficult time matching Maye’s arm strength and precision, though. Walker is probably on his way to the NFL, much like Maye.
Harrell will also be without Tez Walker, the team’s main wide receiver, who finished with 41 grabs for 699 metres and seven touchdowns despite missing multiple games due to NCAA ineligibility.